


never let your fear decide your fate

by RhymeReason



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Coffee Shops, F/F, First Dates, First Kiss, Fluff, Getting Together, Hockey, Meet-Cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-11
Updated: 2020-09-11
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:48:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,161
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26404483
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RhymeReason/pseuds/RhymeReason
Summary: [There was a hot girl in the coffee shop.There was a hot girl in the coffee shop.Korra ducked down behind the counter.“Um, Korra?” Jinora asked, looking down at her. “What are you doing?”“Remember when Kai came in and almost got Bolin to give him the entire tip jar and you just sat on top of the pastry case and watched?” Korra pointed at the younger girl. “That.”]Or: A coffee shop meet cute and a surprising first date
Relationships: Korra/Asami Sato, Mako/Prince Wu (mentioned)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 188





	never let your fear decide your fate

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, jsyk, In this AU, Korra has some traditional Inuit tattoos! They look like this: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMJAaFMsQ/  
> Enjoy!  
> (also: no beta, we die like men)  
> ((title is from kill your heroes by awolnation)

There was a hot girl in the coffee shop.

There was a  _ hot girl _ in the  _ coffee shop. _

She was tall, taller than Korra with jet black hair in perfect waves. Even from a distance, Korra could see her pretty, piercing green eyes and her deep maroon lipstick. She was beautiful and put together in a way that Korra definitely wasn’t.

Korra ducked down behind the counter.

“Um, Korra?” Jinora asked, looking down at her. “What are you doing?”

“Remember when Kai came in and almost got Bolin to give him the entire tip jar and you just sat on top of the pastry case and watched?” Korra pointed at the younger girl. “That.”

Jinora frowned. “Yeah but I was eleven when I did that. You're twenty three.” 

“Yeah and now you’re in a committed relationship with Kai at the age of sixteen while both me and my last boyfriend came out as gay after we dated so I think our circumstances are a little different! Now I’m gonna sit right here and -”

“Hello?” Said the voice of an Angel. Korra gulped.

“Hi!” Jinora turned back to the customer. “What can I get you?”

“Yes, uh, can I have a large cold brew with five shots of espresso in it? And no ice please.”

Korra felt her entire body clench at the sentence. Even imagining the bitter taste of that drink made her gag a little. Jinora glanced down at her with a panicked look before looking back at the woman. Korra listened with bated breath. “Um, are you sure ma’am? The espresso shots are going to make it really bitter. And warm. Do you want cream or sugar? We just got out shipment of pumpkin spice, haven't put it on the menu yet since it's still August but-”

“No thank you.” The woman said. “Just the cold brew and espresso is fine.”

“Um okay.” There were a few clicks from the register. “That will be 7.50.”

“Here you go.” A beautifully manicured hand dropped a fifty dollar bill into Jinora’s hand. “Keep the change please. As a tip.”

“Oh wow, thanks!” Jinora looked down and shrugged helplessly at Korra. “I need your help pulling the shots.”

“Shit.” Korra grumbled but pushed herself up as Jinora went to go get the cold brew ready. Korra set about her job, pulling the shots as quickly as the machine would let her, doing her absolute best to not look at the Goddess down at the end of her bar. 

Jinora pushed the cup of cold brew into Korra’s hand and gave her a look that Korra recognized from her father’s face. It said  _ you are going to do this thing that you don’t want to do because I told you to and if you don’t I’m going to be disappointed in you. _

For all that Korra loved them, that entire family scared the shit out of her.

“Fine.” Korra took the cup and poured the espresso into it before clicking the lid on top. She took a steadying breath and went down to where the woman was waiting. The woman was scrolling through her phone, every swipe of her thumb making her frown more. Even frowning she was beautiful.

“Cold brew with espresso?” Korra said, gently setting the cup down. 

The woman looked up from her phone and took it gratefully. “Thank you!”

“Uh, no problem.” Korra stuttered back. The woman turned to go but Korra had to know. “Wait! What's your name?”

“Huh?” THe woman turned back around. “Don’t you usually ask that when you take the order?”

“Um, Jinora forgot?” Behind her, Korra heard Jinora huff and could imagine her eye roll. “I’m Korra.”

“Asami.” 

“It’s nice to meet you Asami.” Korra brushed a spare piece of hair behind her ear. “If you don’t mind me asking, why do you need so much caffeine?”

“Oh.” Asami looked down at her cup. “My coffee machine broke this morning and I’m presenting to the board of directors in an hour so I needed something to keep me alive and functioning, you know?”

“The board of directors?” Korra frowned. “Where?”

Asami bit her lip and it should not have been as attractive as it was. “Future Industries. Across the street?”

“Wait wait, you’re presenting to the board of directors of the biggest Fortune 500 company in the state? But you’re like, my age!”

“So?” Asami raised one perfect eyebrow. “Have something to say about young female engineers?”

“No! No, not at all.” Korra raised her hands in surrender. “I was just surprised.”

“Good because I would hate to tell the board that their favorite hockey player was secretly sexist.”

Korra felt her face heat up. “You recognize me?”

“Well, the tattoos helped but it still took me a second.” Asami smirked. “You look different without a helmet with a Future Industries logo on it. And you aren’t usually working in a coffee shop.”

“Oh, I’m just doing this as a favor to the owner.” Korra waved her hand. “They were my billet family when I first started playing juniors and I worked here then too so whenever they ask me to cover a shift during the off season I’m happy to do it.”

“That sounds like something out of a coming of age movie.”

Korra laughed. “Yeah, I guess it does.”

There was a moment of heavy silence. 

“Can I have your numb-” They said in unison before both cutting off with a laugh.

“Well, at least we’re on the same page.” Korra said with a grin.

“Oh totally. Here, wait just a second,” Asami dug one handedly through her purse before pulling out a card and handing it to Korra. “My business card! Call that number and it will connect you to my office phone and I can call you back from my personal, okay? I do really have to go give this presentation to the board but I’ll talk to you! Call me!” And with that, Asami was out the door, leaving behind only a bit of her perfume and Korra with her mouth hanging open.

“Wow.” Jinora said, appearing next to Korra silently. “I honestly thought you were going to crash and burn there.”

“Me too.” Korra said in quiet awe. She looked down at the card in her hand and let her eyes trail over it.

_ Asami Sato _

_ Future Industries Inc. _

Sato. The name sounded familiar. Korra turned to Jinora. “Asami Sato. Why do I know that name?”

Jinora’s eyes grew and she made a faint choking noise. “Korra! Asami Sato is the CEO of Future Industries! She the youngest CEO in fucking history!”

“She's the CEO?” Korra asked absently. She was still staring down at the business card in her hand. “Also, don’t curse, your dad will yell at me if he hears you.”

“Dad's not even down here but yes, Korra! She’s the CEO!” Jinora grabbed Korra’s shoulders. “You were just flirting with the CEO of Future Industries! They make cars!”

“I know what they make!” Korra snapped back. 

“Korra.” Jinora said seriously. “If you date her, do you think you can get me a car?”

“I don’t know!” Korra swallowed. “I might not even call her, I don’t know”

“Call who?” Bolin walked out from the back and peered over Korra’s shoulder as he tied his apron for the start of his shift. “What do you have there?”

“Korra got the number of Asami Sato, the Future Industries CEO!” Jinora explained. “They were flirting!”

“Asami?” Bolin brightened. “Oh I love Asami! She’s so nice! She let me and Mako stay in her house for like, a month back in highschool while she and Mako were dating! That was of course before her dad got busted for embezzling a bunch of money but still! Asami’s great!”

“Wait.” Korra turned to Bolin. The puzzle pieces of that story were beginning to click in her mind. All of the stories Mako used to tell when he was drunk of his infamous ex-girlfriend. “Was Asami the one who hit Mako with her Moped and then he ended up dating her for like, a year?”

“That's her!” Bolin laughed. He wiped a tear from his eye. “God, good times!”

“Oh god.” Korra rested her head on the counter. “I can’t date someone that Mako dated!”

“Why not?” Bolin asked. “It’s not like Mako is going to go back to her. Him and Wu are doing great!”

“It’s not that, it would just be weird!” Korra explained. “Mako would do that thing where he gets really uncomfortable and awkward and not return my calls.”

“He’s gotten better about that!” Bolin countered. He threw his arm around Korra’s shoulders and pulled her back to standing. “Besides! If he stops responding to you, just text Wu and he’ll make Mako text you back!”

“Fair.” Korra grimaced. “But still. What if it’s weird?”

“Okay well first off, if it is weird, which I doubt, it's only going to be weird for a little bit. And second, are you actually nervous about it being weird or are you just nervous in general because you haven’t gone on a date since you and Kuvira went on that really terrible date last year?”

“Second one.” Korra muttered.

“That's what I thought!” Bolin slapped her back. “Cmon Korra! Go out and get her! What's the worst that could happen?”

“I could make a horrible impression and her company backs out of their brand deal with my team and everyone gets so angry at me that I’m blacklisted from the sport of hockey entirely and am forced to take over the coffee shop completely from Tenzin?”

“Ikki has already called the coffee shop.” Jinora said. “Also that’s literally not going to happen.”

“If you don’t call her, I’ll have to do it for you!” Bolin said. He reached out for the card. “Gimme!"

“No!” Korra yanked herself out of Bolin’s way. “Fine! Fine, I’ll call her! Jeez.”

“Good!” Bolin grinned at her with his hands on his hips. “Gosh, you really are nervous about this. I’ve seen you face down absolutely brutal d-men without so much as a flinch but you are really stressing about asking out a pretty girl! Wow!”

“Well, yeah Bolin.” Korra said. “I can just punch other hockey players or check them into the boards if they really get on my nerves but I can't exactly do that to one of the most influential women of our generation, now can I?”

“Okay, fair. But what you can do is take her on a date. Call her!”

“Fine!” Korra grabbed her phone out of her apron pocket and dialed the number. It rang for a moment before going straight to voicemail. Of course. Asami was presenting the board of directors. Korra resisted the urge to hit her head against the counter.

It ran through the usual call back routine before there was the faint beep that signaled that it was Korra’s turn to speak. She took a deep breath before speaking. “Uh, hi Asami. It’s Korra, from the coffee shop? Though you’ve probably guessed that by now.” She shook her head.  _ Idiot.  _ “Um I hope I’m not being too forward but would you like to go out on a date sometime? Um okay. Call me back? Or text me, either is fine! Okay, bye!” She hung up with a click.

“Wow.” Bolin nodded. “That was painfully awkward.”

“Noooooo.” Korra thumped her head against the counter for real this time. “Did I just fuck that up?”

“No no, it was awkward in a cute way!”

Korra groaned. 

“Okay, up up up!” Bolin physically pulled her back up straight. “You’ve already done the hard part, so just relax!”

“No, the hard part will be the date itself, even if she says yes!”

“No it won't be!” Bolin stomped his foot. “You're amazing and Asami is super nice and the two of you will get along super well and probably fall in love and make Mako be super awkward at your wedding and that's the end of the story! Now, please teach me how to make a frappuccino again because I forgot!”

Korra burst out laughing. “Yeah, okay. You’re probably right about that.” She clapped him on the shoulder. Bolin, for his complete lack of thought most of the time, was a master of making her feel better. “Let’s turn you into a frap master.”

*

**Unknown Number:** Hi, is this Korra?

**Korra:** yeah? Whose this?

**New Number:** Hi, it's Asami! From the coffee shop this morning?

**Korra:** oh shit, hi!

**Asami:** So.

**Asami:** What were you thinking for dinner? 

**Asami:** It can be anywhere! My treat :)

**Korra:** well, there's a nice mexican restaurant not too far from the coffee shop and the FI building? It's just down on 42nd and Bright.

**Asami:** Oh, I’ve heard good things! Let's go there!

**Korra:** okay! When do you want to go?

**Asami:** Well….I’m not doing anything tonight. Unless that's too fast for you?

**Korra:** No, no thats not too fast! 

**Korra:** i kinda like fast

**Asami:** I do too ;)

**Asami:** So, tonight? Say, 7?

**Korra:** it's a date!

**Korra:** literally

**Asami:** Haha

**Asami:** I’ll see you then, Korra

*

It took Korra nearly an hour to decide what to wear. Every option, every outfit, felt wrong. Either too dressy or not dressy enough. What does one wear to go on a date with the CEO of the company that sponsors your hockey team? And what do you wear when that CEO is one of the hottest people in existence? 

Korra had no answers and her mom wasn’t picking up. 

She decided to go simple. She could do simple. Her game day pants and the good blue button down Mako (Wu) had gotten her for her birthday with just a little bit of makeup. Mascara and a little bit of highlight to make her tattoos pop. It was clean and simple. 

She knew it wouldn’t compare to Asami but hopefully it was enough.

She got to the restaurant fifteen minutes early, stomach in knots. Something about this date was more nerve-wracking than anything else she had ever experienced. She had gone through a lot of things in her life, had achieved a lot, but this date, something that was supposed to be easy and fun, still had her shaking in her boots.

She took a deep breath and hoped that at least she had gotten there before Asami so she could make a good impression. 

Her hopes of that were dashed the moment she stepped inside the building. There in the corner, was Asami, looking even more radiant than she did that morning. She was wearing a pretty black dress with a red knitted shawl over her shoulders, matched perfectly to the clip in her hair and her lipstick. It looked elegant in a casual way and it set Korra’s heart pounding.

Asami looked up at the sound of the bell on the door and her expression brightened the moment her eyes landed on Korra. She gave a small wave and Korra couldn’t stop herself from smiling.

“Hi Asami,” Korra said, sliding into the seat across from her. “You look so...snazzy.”

Asami flushed and Korra thought that she could look at her like that forever. “Hello Korra. You look really nice too.”

“Thanks.” Korra rubbed at the back of her neck. There was a moment of quiet where neither of them knew what to say. Korra wracked her brain for things to say “Um, so I realized that we have some mutual friends! Which is really funny.”

“Oh really?” Asami said. She quirked an eyebrow. “Who?”

“Mako and Bolin?”

“Oh wow.” Asami blinked. “Okay so you’re friends with my ex boyfriend. Good to...know.”

“Oh shit wait, he’s my ex too so I get it! It’s not weird!” Korra waved her hands before just resting her forehead in the palm of her hand. “Sorry. In retrospect that wasn’t exactly the best first topic. I sometimes have a hard time with some social cues.”

“It’s okay.” Asami gave her that soft smile again. “It was kind of cute. Plus, if you’re friends with Bolin then you can’t be that bad. He’s a pretty good judge of character.”

“I’d argue that Pabu is a better judge of character than Bolin is.” Korra grinned. “Dating Eska was a pretty big mistake and I’m allowed to say that considering she's my cousin.”

Asami spit out her water. “Eska’s your cousin?”

Korra couldn’t help herself from laughing. “Yes! I accidentally introduced them while Mako and Bolin were visiting home with me over a…..weird winter break freshman year of college.”

“Oh wow.” Asami shook her head before giving Korra a cautious glance. “You don’t share any of Eska’s more…demanding personality traits, do you?”

Korra shook her head with a snort. “No, absolutely not. She is one of a kind.”

“Okay, good.” Asami laughed. 

“Helllooo ladies.” Said their waiter, sliding two glasses of water onto their table. The waiter looked familiar but Korra couldn’t place where she knew him from. She could, however, place the look of disgust on his face when he turned to look at her. He sneered and it all came rushing back. “Oh, it's you. Hello Korra.”

She sighed. “Hi Tahno.”

“Still breaking peoples legs?”

“Tahno, I am sorry about that. If I could go back and change what happened I would.” Korra sighed. “You don’t have to forgive me but I do wish you’d stop being openly antagonistic to me.”

Tahno rolled his eyes. “Whatever. Well, I’ll be your server this evening, what will you be eating?”

“Um..” Asami glanced between Korra and Tahno. “Can I have the chicken nachos and a lime margarita?”

“Sure.” Tahno scribbled something on his pad and paper. “Leg breaker?”

“Lime margarita and a steak burrito.” Korra said through gritted teeth. “Please.”

“Alright.” Tahno flipped closed his notepad and walked off. “Those will get here when they get here.”

“Uhh…” Asami glanced back at Korra. “What was that all about?”

Korra ran her hand down her face and groaned. “When I was in college, me, Mako and Bolin were all on the school’s team together and we played against Tahno’s team and just…” She grimaced. “I hit Tahno wrong on a check. He hit the boards really hard and it fractured part of his left leg. I got a five game suspension and was put on probation for the rest of the year. It was bad.”

“Did you mean to hit him that hard?” Asami asked hesitantly.

“No, but it happened because I wasn’t paying close enough attention to my surroundings and I was just too riled up from the game.” Korra said. “I totally deserve him being angry at me but I probably wouldn’t have suggested this place if I’d known he was going to be here.”

“It happens to the best of us.” Asami gave Korra a soft smile and reached out and gently patted her hand. “If it makes you feel better, when I was a teenager I set my dad’s beard on fire while welding.”

Korra snickered. “How’d that work out?”

Asami grinned. “Well, it got him to shave his beard finally.”

“Okay, fair enough.”

Asami laughed and it sounded like music to Korra in the most cliche way physically possible. A distant part of her said that she should be terrified by just how fast she was falling for this woman but the entire world seemed to be enveloped by the haze of Asami Sato, to the point that Korra just didn’t care. Korra wanted to know everything about her, the ins and outs of her days, her favorite things, her least favorite things, everything.

Korra let go of the cliff she was hanging off of and let herself fall head over heels for Asami Sato.

“So, how did your presentation to the board go?” She asked, just begging for the chance to hear Asami talk again.

“About as good as could be expected.” Asami sighed. “The board isn’t exactly my biggest fan so they always give me a lot of push back when it comes to new proposals.”

Korra frowned. “Aren’t you just able to replace them? You’re the one in charge, right?”

“I could but I don’t currently have anyone better to replace them so until I can find people better suited for the job, I can’t replace them in good consciousness if I want to keep my business up and running. They may be old bastards but they are good businessmen”

“That sounds frustrating.”

“It is.” Asami gave a shrug. “But it is what it is. And there's other parts of the job that make up for it.”

“Oh really?” Korra asked. “What’s your favorite part?”

“Inventing, for sure!” Asami perked up almost immediately. She got a bright look in her eye that made Korra smile. It was obvious that Asami was passionate about what she was talking about. “I love inventing. Just, the act of creating and designing something new to help people in their everyday lives makes me so happy that I don’t even know how to explain it! Like, we are currently researching new ideas for some of our seat designs in our cars and that sounds like such a little thing but the seat design can really make or break if someone ends up buying a car, you know? Like, if it's an uncomfortable seat, they aren’t going to buy it, especially if the person looking at it is someone who maybe has a long commute to work or spends a lot of time driving their children places and things like that.” She was explaining with her hands, gesturing wildly in one of the cutest collection of motions Korra had ever seen.

“Here.” Tahno appeared next to their table again, this time with their food and drinks. He set them down roughly, jostling everything and sloshing most of Korra’s margarita onto her shirt.

“Hey!” Korra shouted, flinching back from the cold alcohol. “What the fuck Tahno!”

Tahno shrugged. “My bad.”

“Yeah dude! What the hell?”

“Excuse me, what is going on here?” Another man came over, his shirt nicely pressed with a little tag saying  _ Manager _ on it.

“Your waiter here spilled a margarita all over my date.” Asami explained.

The manager turned to Tahno. “Is that true?”

Tahno shook his head, lying through his teeth. “No sir, I didn’t. The woman spilled it on herself to try and get a free meal.”

“He’s lying!” Korra shouted. 

“I’m sorry ma’am but Tahno here has been working for me for years now and I trust his judgement.” The man shrugged. “I am going to have to ask you to leave though. We do require all of our customers to be wearing something clean when entering our restaurant. Your friend can stay and finish her meal while we pack yours up.”

“That's ridiculo-” Korra began.

“Oops!” Asami interrupted. She grabbed a handful of her nachos and slapped them across Tahno’s chest. She pouted. “My bad!”

“Both of you!” the manager stuttered. “Both of you are banned from this restaurant! Leave immediately!”

“Alright.” Asami stood gracefully and smoothed out her skirt. “Come on Korra, let's go find something better to do, shall we?”

“Gladly.” Korra said, shooting Tahno and his manager one last sour look.

They left the restaurant, Korra’s shirt still soaked in lime and tequila and Asami hand covered in beans and cheese but they were both laughing. Korra reached out for Asami’s clean hand and Asami let her take it. Their fingers intertwined and Korra couldn't help but marvel at the fact that it felt like their hands were made perfectly for each other. 

Korra shot Asami a smile and Asami grinned back at her. They stopped under a streetlight and Asami took Korra’s other hand in hers.

“I had a really good time,” Asami said. “all things considered. And even though I’m still hungry”

“Me too.”

“Wanna do this again?” Asami asked. She looked down at them and snorted. “Maybe with less fighting waiters next time?”

“That sounds perfect to me.” Korra laughed. She smiled at Asami again. She took a step closer. “Asami, can I kiss you?”

“Yes please.”

Korra took a breath and leaned forward. Their lips slotted together perfectly. It set Korra’s entire body on fire. Her heart was pounding, threatening to burst right out of her chest. It left her breathless.

When they pulled apart, Asami looked at her with bright eyes and an easy smile. “Now, that? That was the perfect ending to a perfect date.”

Korra pulled her closer and kissed her again lightly. “Who said it had to be the end? I heard on the wind that someone” She gave Asami another light kiss. “Is still hungry.”

Asami laughed against Korra’s lips. The sound floated up high and mixed in with the stars, creating the perfect backdrop to start a brand new relationship. 

Korra couldn’t be more excited. 

**Author's Note:**

> follow me on tumblr @kentuckyfriedbooks or twitter @foxeshaveclaws  
> love you! stay safe


End file.
